I Love To Go A Gardening
Growing Our Life in Northern Michigan
Bread, Soap, and a Mouse
Once again, like we’ve done every day this week, I woke my guys up at 8 a.m. They were a bit resistant to getting out of bed this morning…but resistance was futile. Despite my thankless job, I was able to get them out the door at 9 a.m. and, thanks to EJ’s driving, we actually made it to the Cancer Center about 20 minutes earlier than usual. We weren’t in the waiting room long before the nurse took JJ (with us) to get the injection that will cause his bone marrow to produce more blood cells.
Since this is Friday, JJ had to get his blood drawn. There are about a dozen labs around the city that we can go to. We usually go to one that is a bit closer to us than the hospital. However, we chose today to go to the lab located within the hospital since we were already there. As soon as we walked through the doors of the lab, a technician asked us if JJ was there to get a blood test and when we said he was, she took him back to the blood draw room immediately. She poked him, filled a couple of vials, and we were out the door. We were back at our car by 10 a.m., which is when we had originally planned to arrive at the Cancer Center.
Because every Friday is busy with either trips to the Cancer Center or to the lab, I haven’t had time to make delicious challah bread. My friend told me that when she is too busy to make challah, she stops in at a bakery and buys it. I thought that was a tremendous idea, so last week I searched on-line to see if there was a bakery that made challah bread in the city where the Cancer Center is located. I found one! The Great Harvest Bread Company. I printed off their menu and stuck it in my purse, and we drove to it today since we had so much extra time.
JJ stayed in the car because he is trying to be very careful to avoid public places so he won’t pick up any germs. EJ and I went into the bakery. It was delightful to experience all the bakery smells and colors and tastes. We were offered a generous sample of some of the items. Eric chose to sample a Monster Cookie and I chose a delicious pumpkin roll. Yum, yum, yum. We bought two loaves of challah bread, a loaf of Dakota bread, and two energy bars. Since JJ missed out on the delicious sampling, we bought him a Monster Cookie. We had so much fun that we hope to go back again soon.
At my request, EJ stopped at the post office on the way home so I wouldn’t have to make a separate trip later. I was hoping my new wireless mouse had arrived because my other mouse isn’t working well. My mouse wasn’t at the post office, but JJ got an unexpected package from a very dear friend, whom we have known since JJ was a baby. Cris makes and sells beautiful soaps, and she had sent one of her soaps to JJ along with a note:
This is a very mild Castile soap, made with 100% olive oil and no fragrances. It has been curing for 8 months. I thought it might be helpful for your skin due to Chemo, etc. It will not suds up like most soaps but will clean very nicely.
JJ–and EJ and I–was very touched by this awesome gift. Cris is an awesome person. Not only does she make beautiful soaps, but she and her beautiful dog, Joe Pete, are members of Michigan Search and Rescue. They are the people and dogs who track missing persons, or people buried in rubble, or dead bodies. I love hearing about Cris and her adventures. Anyway, if you’d like to enjoy Cris’s beautiful soaps, visit her website at A Touch of Eden. She also writes a wonderful blog about her soap making that is interesting and informative.
I love the ability to track packages on-line. After we ate lunch, I checked Amazon and saw that my wireless mouse had arrived at the post office so EJ drove me back again. But, bummer, the post office was closed for lunch. We went home again. I really didn’t want to have to struggle with a defective mouse all weekend, and with Chemo starting up again next week, I wasn’t sure when I’d get to the post office again. EJ decided to drive the truck to work because the weather is worsening, so after he left I decided to drive the car to the post office to try to retrieve my package one more time.
Before I left for the post office, I noticed that some of the bird feeders were almost empty. They were all almost full this morning. The birds are really gobbling down all the food today. EJ says birds will often eat a lot just before a storm. I went out and refilled the feeders. Then I drove to the little gas station store for milk, stopped in at the bank, and drove to the post office where–Yay!–I was able to finally pick up my package.
When I got home, I put my package next to my computer and then went to bring in firewood. I wanted to get my outside chores done before the weather got worse. Other than being VERY cold this morning (-4 degrees with a wind chill of -16), the weather was not bad. However, at noon the wind began to pick up and it has worsened through the afternoon. Even in our little village, the wind is whirling the snow around in “snow-nados” and the snow is beginning to drift across the streets. I’m sure it’s much worse in the country. EJ took a heavy sleeping bag with him in case he gets stuck on the way home.
Brrrrrr.
Finally, I got all my chores done, threw another log on the fire, and opened my mouse, which works wonderfully.
I Love To Go A Gardening 
🙂
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And I hope that EJ is safely home too and you all just stay warm and cosy inside enjoying Shabbat and His rest. Bless you on this day and much love (((hugs)))
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Glad your mouse was a package at the post office not something live. Ha!! Hope EJ made it home ok, we have such crazy weather here this Sunday that many churches are called off to protect the people from going out in the storm. Stay safe and Blessings to you and yours.
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Lucidalines, in my opinion the only good mouse is a wireless mouse! We do get live mice occasionally but I’m glad we have cats to get rid of them! 🙂
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